Connecticut's School Based Health Centers (SBHCs) are comprehensive primary health care facilities licensed as outpatient clinics or as hospital satellites.  The SBHCs are located within or on school grounds and serve students in grades pre-K-12.  The health centers are staffed by multi-disciplinary teams of pediatric and adolescent health specialists, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, physicians and in some cases, dentists and dental hygienists.

A school based health center is not the same as the school nurse's office.  School nurses and SBHCs work together, and school nurses often refer students to SBHCs because they are able to treat and resolve student health problems.  All SBHC services are confidential.  Parents must sign a Parent Permission Form for students to receive services. 

Services

SBHCs provide primary medical and mental health services to students enrolled at the site school, regardless of ability to pay or insurance coverage.  SBHCs emphasize prevention, as well as the early identification and treatment of physical and mental health concerns.

SBHCs are licensed by the State of Connecticut and provide the following:

• Treatment of acute injuries and illnesses (such as colds, ear infections, sore throats, and skin problems)
• Routine check ups
• Physical examinations and health screenings
• Immunizations
• Prescription and dispensing of medications
• Laboratory testing
• Diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases
• Nutrition counseling and weight management
• Crisis intervention
• Individual, family group counseling
• Oral health screening, and in some sites, full dental care
• Referral & follow-up for specialty care
• Health education

Funding

SBHCs operate with a combination of public and private dollars, including Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, Connecticut Department of Public Health, local Board of Education, municipal and local private funds.  SBHCs are also able to bill Medicaid and HUSKY A & B health maintenance organizations for services provided to students covered by these health plans.

History

The first Connecticut comprehensive school based health center, the Body Shop, was established in 1981.  The Body Shop is still in operation meeting the health needs of students attending New Haven’s Wilbur Cross High School.   The health center was created in partnership with the New Haven Board of Education, the Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Yale-New Haven Hospital Adolescent Medicine Department and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  A few years later, the City of Bridgeport established the first state funded SBHC with an initial grant of $50,000. 

Administration

The number of SBHCs in the United States continues to grow with more than 1,700 in operation.  In Connecticut, as of 2007, there are 75 SBHCs located in 18 communities serving a total of 20,000 students annually.  These SBHCs, primarily funded by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), operate under a variety of management models that include: boards of education, local public health departments, human service and mental health agencies, hospitals, and community health centers. 

SBHCs have the endorsement of a number of professional health organizations including the: American Academy of Pediatrics; American Medical Association; Society for Adolescent Medicine; American School Health Association; American Nurses Association; National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; National Association of School Nurses; National Association of State School Nurse Consultants.